BOOK THE TWENTY-THIRD.

IN the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, etc: 2 Taken upon a base art thou. I take thee welcome to Prajâpati. This is thy place: Sûrya thy majesty. The majesty that has accrued to thee in the day, in a year, that majesty which has accrued in the wind, in the firmament, to that majesty of thine, to Prajâpati, to the Gods, All-hail! 3 Who, by his, grandeur hath become sole Ruler of all the. moving world that breathes and slumbers; He who is Sovran of these men and cattlewhat God shall we adore with our oblation? 4 Taken upon a base art thou. I take thee welcome to Prajâpati, This is thy place: the Moon thy majesty. Thy majesty that has accrued to thee by night, in a year, thy majesty that has accrued in the earth, in Agni, in the stars and in the Moon, to that majesty of thine, to Prajâpati and to the Gods, All-hail! 5 They who stand round hills as he moves harness the bright, the ruddy Steed: The lights are shining in the sky. 6 On both sides to the car they yoke the two. Bay Coursers dear to him, Bold; tawny, bearers of the Chief. 7 When, swift as wind, the Horse has reached the form that Indra loves, the flood, Again, O singer, by this path bring thou our Courser hitherward.

8 Let the Vasus anoint thee with Gâyatrî metre. Let the Rudras anoint thee with Trishtup metre. Let the Âdityas anoint thee with Jagatî metre. Earth! Ether! Heaven! O Gods, eat this food, parched grains and groats in the product of barley and in the product of cows: eat this food, Prajâpati. 9 Who moveth single and alone? Who is brought forth to life again? What is the remedy of cold, or what the great receptacle? 10 The Sun moves single and alone. The Moon is brought to life again, Fire is the remedy of cold; Earth is the great receptacle. 11 What was the antecedent thought? What was the bird of mighty size? The slippery matron, who was she? Who was the reddish-coloured one? 12 Heaven was the antecedent thought. The Courser was the mighty bird. The slippery matron was the earth, Night was the reddish-coloured one. 13 Vâyu help thee with cooked viands! Blackneck with goats; Nyagrodha with cups; Salmali with increase; this Stallion here, good for the chariotlet him verily come with his four feet. Brahmâkrishna help us! Obeisance to Agni!

14 The car is fitted with the rein, the steed is fitted with the rein. Fitted in waters, water-born, is Brahmâ following Soma's lead. 15 Steed, from thy body, of thyself, sacrifice and accept thyself. Thy greatness can be gained by none but thee. 16 No, here thou diest not, thou art not injured: only by fair paths to the Gods thou guest, May Savitar the God in that world place thee where dwell the pious, whether they have journeyed. 17 Agni was the victim. With him they sacrificed. He won this world in which Agni is. This shall become thy world. This shalt thou win. Drink these waters. Vâyu was the victim. With him they sacrificed. He won this world in which Vâyu is. This shall become, etc., as above. Sûrya was the victim, etc, He won the world in which Sûrya is. This shall become, etc. 18 To vital breath, Hail! To out-breathing, Hail! To diffusive breath, Hail! Ambâ! Ambikâ! Ambâlikâ! No one is taking me away. The sorry horse will lie beside another, as Subhadrâ, the dweller in Kâmpila.

19 Thee we invoke, troop-lord of troops, Thee we invoke, the loved ones lord. Thee, lord of treasures, we invoke. My precious wealth! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Now have I glorified with praise strong Dadhikrâvan, conquering steed, Sweet may he make our mouths: may he prolong the days we have to live. 33 Gâyatrî, Trishtup, Jagatî, and Pankti with Anushtup joined, Brihatî, Kakup, Ushnihâ pacify thee with needle-points! 34 Two-footed, those that have four feet, those with three feet and those with five, Metteless, with one metre; these pacify thee with needle-points! 35 May Mahânâmnîs, Revatîs, all far-spread Regions of the sky, Voices, and lightnings from the cloud pacify thee with needle-points! 36 May married dames of human birth skilfully separate thy hair: The Regions, Consorts of the Gods, pacify thee with needle-points!

37 They, made of silver, gold, and lead, are used as helpers in the work. As lines on the strong Courser's skin may they console and give thee rest. 38 What then? As men whose fields are full of barley, etc., as in X. 32. 39 Who flays thee? Who dissects thee? Who prepares thy limbs for sacrifice? Who is the Sage that slaughters thee? 40 In due time let the seasons as thy Slaughterers divide thy joints, And with the splendour of the Year sacrifice thee with holy rites. 41 Let the Half-months and let the Months, while sacrificing, flay thy limbs: Let Day and Night and Maruts mend each fault in sacrificing thee. 42 Let the divine Adhvaryus flay thy body and dissect thy frame, And let the sacrificing lines prepare thy members joint by joint, 43 May Sky, Earth, Air, and Wind supply each failing and defect of thine: May Sûrya with the Stars of heaven duly prepare a world for thee. 44 Well be it with thine upper parts, well be it with the parts below! Well he it with thy bones and with thy marrow and with all thy frame! 45 Who moveth singly? etc., as in verse 9. 46 The Sun moves singly, etc., as in verse 10. 47 What lustre is like Sûrya's light? What lake is equal to the Sea?

What is more spacious than the Earth? What thing is that which naught can mete? 48 Brahma is lustre like the Sea. Heaven is a flood to match the Sea. Indra is vaster than the Earth. Beyond all measure is the Cow. 49 Friend of the Gods, I ask, for information, if thou in spirit hast obtained the knowledge, Hath Vishnu this whole Universe pervaded in the three steps wherein the God is worshipped? 50 I also am in those three steps of Vishnu wherewith this Universe he permeated. The earth and heaven I circle in a moment and this heaven's summit with a single organ. 51 What are the things which Purusha hath entered? What things hath Purusha contained within him? This riddle we propound to thee, O Brahman. Why dost thou give no answer to my question? 52 Within five things hath Purusha found entrance; these Purusha hath within himself connected. This is the thought which I return in answer. Thou art not my superior in wisdom. 53 What was the antecedent thought? etc., as in verse 11. 54 Heaven was the antecedent thought, etc., as in 12. 55 Who, tell me, is the yellowish she? Who is the darkly- yellowish? Who moves with rapid spring and bound? Who glides and winds along the path?

56 The she-goat, Sir, is yellowish, dark-yellowish is the porcupine. The hare moves swift with leap and bound: the snake creeps winding on the path. 57 How many different forms hath this, how many syllables, burnt-oblations, brands for kindling? Here, of the rites of sacrifice I ask thee. How many Hotars in due season worship? 68 Sixfold its form, its syllables a hundred, eighty burnt-offerings, just three brands for kindling. To thee I tell the rites of sacrificing. Seven Hotars worship in appointed season. 59 Who knoweth this world's central point? Who knoweth the heaven, the earth, and the wide air between them? Who knows the birthplace of the mighty Sûrya? Who knows the Moon, whence he was generated? 60 I know the centre of the world about us. I know heaven, earth, and the wide air between them. I know the birthplace of the mighty Sûrya. I know the Moon, whence he was generated. 61 I ask thee of the earth's extremest limit, where is the centre of the world, I ask thee. I ask thee of the Stallion's genial humour, I ask of highest heaven where Speech abideth. 62 This altar is the earth's extremest limit; this sacrifice of ours is the world's centre. This Soma is the Stallion's genial humour, this Brahman highest heaven where Speech abideth.

63 The Strong, the Self-existent One, the First, within the mighty flood Laid down the timely embryo from which Prajâpati was born. 64 Let the Hotar sacrifice to Prajâpati from the Mahiman-Soma. Let him accept. Let him drink the Soma. Hotar, sacrifice. 65 Prajâpati, thou only, etc., as in X. 20.